If you’re interested in home distillation or moonshine, chances are you already have a good idea of what it takes to make alcohol. Many distillers start as beer brewers or wine makers, but for those of you brand new to the hobby lets look at what it takes.
3 Ingredients Needed to Make Alcohol
- Water
- Sugar
- Yeast
That’s it, there are only 3 ingredients needed to produce alcohol.
How it works
Just like the 3 ingredients there are only 3 basic steps:
- Make the Mash or Wash
- Let it Ferment
- Distill it
The Mash or Wash
In the world of distilling this mixture is called a wash or a mash. We’ll talk about all about those 2 terms another time.
In it’s simplest form a wash can be created from water and plain white sugar. As you advance in this craft you will move to making mashes for whiskey with grains like corn, wheat, rye or using other forms of sugar like molasses to make rum.
Moonshiner’s Beginner Recipes
Fermentation
Once those 3 ingredients are combined the yeast begin the process of fermentation creating alcohol.
If you’ve ever made dough for bread or pizza you’ve seen this process in action.
The yeast cells multiply creating a colony of yeast. This is the aerobic phase of the cycle where the yeast cells consume the oxygen trapped in the mixture.
After the colony has grown and the oxygen is depleted the anaerobic phase begins and the yeast consume the sugar converting it to ethanol and carbon dioxide gas. They continue “eating” the sugar until it is gone or until the alcohol level reaches a point where the yeast go dormant because they can no longer function.
That process of creating ethanol and carbon dioxide is why beer is carbonated. In the case of wine, it is degassed to release all the carbon dioxide bubbles.
The result of fermentation is usually a mixture with an alcohol content around 6% to 12%.
Distillation
A still is used to take the fermented wash or mash from 6% – 12% to a high proof spirit with an alcohol content of 70% or higher.
Distillation is the process of separating the water and alcohol in the mash. This is done by heating the alcohol until it evaporates out of the mixture and then condensing it and collecting the liquid. This is possible because water has a higher boiling point than ethanol.
Stills come in many shapes, sizes and materials. Some use an open flame for heat and others use electric heating elements. The type of still you use depends on the liquor you want to produce, the purity you are trying to achieve and the space money you have to work with. The home distillers still selection guide below will help you determine what still is best for you.
Home Distillers Still Selection Guide
Blending and Proofing
During distillation the alcohol is usually collected into jars that are later blended together to make your final spirit. As the alcohol comes off the still the flavor changes along with the strength of the alcohol. Once your spirit is blended the last step is proofing it down. Most commercial alcohol is bottled at 40% or 80 proof. This is accomplished by mixing water with the spirit to dilute it down to the desired proof.
There’s So Much More!
This guide only touched on the basic steps to make your first spirit. Continue in the beginner’s series to learn everything you need to know to get started.
Lesson 2 – Making a Mash for Distillation